India News

Gaja Crosses TN-Puducherry Coast During Early Hours; 6 Reported Dead

By TWC Met Team

15 November 2018

TWC India

Severe Cyclonic Storm Gaja crossed the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam between 12.30 and 2.30 am Friday. As of 5.30 am IST, it has weakened into a Cyclonic Storm, and lies centred over coastal Tamil Nadu, about 20 km west-northwest of Atirampattinam. The India Met Department says that Gaja is set to move westwards across Tamil Nadu and Kerala, rapidly weakening into a Deep Depression, and then finally a Depression by Friday evening.

At landfall Gaja blew in with wind speeds of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph. Over the day, it is likely to cause gale winds along the TN and Puducherry coasts, and strong winds over interior Tamil Nadu, Kerala, the southeast Arabian Sea along and off the Kerala coast, Comorian area, Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait. High waves are likely in the southwest Bay of Bengal along and off the TN and Puducherry coasts, and the Palk Strait until today evening.

Damage

Nagapattinam district has borne the brunt of Cyclone Gaja. There are early reports of six people being killed in Nagapattinam and Thiruvar districts. According to the Times of India, the cyclone has also damaged property in Vedaranyam. Rising seawater has inundated fishing hamlets in Nagapattinam, and there are reports of strong winds damaging thatched houses and uprooting trees in Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Pudukkottai districts.

TOI also reported that power supply was suspended in Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Pudukkottai, Karaikal, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur and Trichy districts. The IMD reiterated its earlier warning that Gaja is expected to cause damage in the districts of Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu and Karaikal district of Puducherry.

State teams on standby

The Tamil Nadu government has evacuated 72,498 people from vulnerable areas, and housed them in 368 relief centres in the state's six districts. A holiday was declared for educational institutions in these districts for Friday. Health authorities have been stationed across the state to deal with emergencies and to check the spread of diseases.

Four teams of the National Disaster Relief Force have been deployed in Nagapattinam district, while two teams of the SDRF were stationed in Cuddalore district, officials said. The government provided two helpline numbers: 1070 (state level) and 1077 (districts) for those who may need help.

Rainfall prediction

On Friday, intense rain of 100-150 mm may happen in a 50 km-wide band across Tamil Nadu and Kerala, increasing the likelihood of flash floods. Rainfall accumulation of 175-200 mm is possible in the region between Nagapattinam and Madurai. Heavy rain is also likely over Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka.

Post-landfall

Over the next six hours, Gaja will travel west, weakening from a Severe Cyclonic Storm to a Cyclonic Storm, before dissipating further by today evening. By midnight Friday, it is forecast to be downgraded to a 'Depression' around the west coast of Kerala. Gaja is expected to leave the Kerala coast around 10 pm on Friday and continue west. Some experts think that Gaja may gain intensity after crossing into the Arabian Sea. We will be watching the situation closely for updates.

Delay in arrival

Earlier forecasts had predicted landfall on Thursday morning. However, Gaja's arrival was eventually delayed after it made an anticlockwise 'loop' on Tuesday, where it seemed to reverse its direction before returning to its original path.

Meteorologists are pondering the reason for this deviation in Gaja’s track. Some suggest that the presence of another system called Bouchra in the southern Indian ocean may have had an influence. However, The Weather Channel's Met team suggests that Gaja changed track due to an anticyclone in the Arabian Sea getting slightly stronger on Tuesday. It was only on Wednesday that Gaja formed a true centre and steered around the high-pressure anticyclone.

Here’s a list of precautions that you can follow to stay safe and protect your loved ones, should the cyclone affect your area.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.